Loud applause greeted the President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, as she entered the Edmund Burke Theatre on Tuesday evening to attend her first event in Trinity since taking office. President Connolly was invited by two student societies - Trinity's Society for International Affairs (SOFIA) and Trinity Women in Law - to the screening of ‘The Veto’, directed by Tim Slade, followed by a panel discussion on the UN and international affairs. 

Gallery of three images from President Connolly's visit to Trinity. Top image shows President Connolly entering the Ed Burke Theatre. The audience is standing and applauding her as she comes down the steps. Bottom-right photo shows President Connolly chatting with Linda, Mary Robinson, and Brian McEnery. The final image shows Linda speaking to a full lecture hall.

Opening the event, Linda welcomed President Connolly and her husband, Brian McEnery. She also commended the students for organising the event, saying: 'Students are the lifeblood of this university and we are really proud of them. They excel academically but they also think outside the academic box. We have 125 vibrant societies here in Trinity.' 

Following the screening of 'The Veto', a panel discussion was moderated by Prof. Gillian Wylie, Head of Trinity’s School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies. It featured four distinguished speakers: 

  • Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and former Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin
  • Ella Hammerich, SOFIA representative
  • Olav Kjørven, Senior Adviser at Article 109 and former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Development Programme
  • David Donoghue, former Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations 

The event was organised by Trinity's Society for International Affairs (SOFIA) and Trinity Women in Law, in collaboration with The Article 109 Coalition.